Robotic surgical systems have been used in minimally invasive medical procedures. Some robotic surgical systems include: a console supporting a surgical robotic arm, integrated motors having outputs actuating a surgical instrument coupled to a robotic arm of surgical system, and a surgical instrument having at least one end effector (e.g., forceps or a grasping tool). The surgical instrument included a rotatable shaft, the rotation of which was controlled by one of the integrated motors in the surgical system.
The integrated motors were located away from the part of the system where the surgical instrument was attached. This required a complex mechanical power transmission medium to apply the torque outputted by the integrated motors to inputs of the surgical instrument in order to actuate different components of the surgical instrument. Additionally, the integrated motors were difficult to service and repair as the surgical system had to be opened to gain access to the motors for servicing.
The rotatable shaft in the surgical instrument was prone to wear and limited the lifespan of the instrument. The additional components needed to enable shaft rotation also collected dirt and had to be cleaned to enable the surgical instrument to be reused.
There is a need for a surgical robotic system that is able to provide surgical instrument actuating motors that are easily interchangeable or serviceable. There is also a need for surgical robotic systems that can enable rotation of the surgical instrument end effectors while minimizing the need for additional components in the surgical instrument.